


Rising Love

by NoonaKate



Category: EXO (Band), EXO-K - Fandom, EXO-L
Genre: EXO - Freeform, Elevator, Fluff, Love, OT9 - Freeform, Sehun - Freeform, Wedding date, reception
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-02 23:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8688520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoonaKate/pseuds/NoonaKate
Summary: As I waited nervously, I never imagined how much that elevator ride would change my life...





	1. Elevator

**Author's Note:**

> This story is unfinished. It started out as a one shot, but upon multiple requests I elaborated.
> 
> Unfortunately, I lost inspiration to continue. Sehun is a cutie, but not my bias. So it became difficult to write about him. 
> 
> Perhaps one day I'll finish it...

"Why did they have to pick the rooftop," I whine to myself, clenching my fists. I can feel small beads of sweat forming on my forehead as my heart tightens. "Should I just take the stairs?" I think. "Ugh, that's ridiculous. It's 14 flights! I won't make it in these heels." The shoes themselves wouldn't be hard to take off, if it weren't for the dress. Hell, just breathing in this dress was hard. 

I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. The elevator dings and the doors open, sending a chill down my spine. "Okay, you can do this," I say with a nod, trying to reassure myself. I look into the empty elevator and make my move inside. Except, I don't. My feet are frozen in place. 

"Are you going in?" someone asks. Startled, I jump a little. I was so busy with my panic attack, I didn't see anyone walk up. "Oh, sorry," I begin as I turn my head toward the voice. "You go ahe..." Trailing off as I look at the well-dressed person standing 3 feet away from me, and my heart stops. 

"Oh my god!" I think. "That can't be... can it?" He smiles at me and gestures to the elevator. I half-heartedly smile back, unsure of the previous expression on my face and whether or not he saw it, and he follows me into the elevator. "What floor?" he asks. "Top floor, please," I reply with a shaky voice. I watch as he pushes the button and the doors close. I grip tightly on the handrails and try to control my breathing, but it's too late. My heart is already racing and the redness of my chest and involuntary tapping of my foot give away my distress. 

"Do you not like elevators?" the man asks. "They terrify me," I sigh, looking at the ceiling and quickly press my lips together, biting them inside my mouth. Suddenly, I feel an arm wrap around my shoulders. "I don't like them, either," he says nervously as he pulls me closer to him. "I'm glad you got on with me, or I would have had to wait for someone else to ride with." 

I start to feel a little better, just by knowing this stranger is trying to comfort me. Then I wonder if he actually is scared, too, or if he's just trying to hit on me. I look up at him. "My name is Sehun," he says with a smile. "It is him! Shit, this is so embarrassing," I think. Immediately, I face the ground, hiding my reaction. I don't want him to know I recognize him. Somehow, I manage to squeak out my name and a "nice to meet you." So much for feeling better... 

After a few moments of awkward silence, he asks, "If you are so afraid of elevators, why are you staying on the top floor?" "Oh, I'm not staying here," I say, "My friend is getting married on the rooftop." "Ah, I see," he pauses, a pensive look coming over his eyes, "But, aren't you supposed to have a date for a wedding? Where is he?" Sehun asks. "Well, I don't have one," I respond shyly. 

Just then, my phone rings, giving away my secret. *I'm creeping in you're heart babe, dwijipgo muneoteurigo samkyeo* My eyes widen and I can feel my face turning red. I make nervous sounds like "um" and "heh" as I fumble for my phone. Sehun loosens his arm from around me, but leaves his hand on my shoulder. I can't bare to look at him, but I catch his reflection in the slightly mirrored walls. He has his hand to his mouth, stifling a laugh. 

I find and answer my phone. Its my friend, the bride, wondering where I am. By the time I have assured her I am almost there, the elevator stops at our floor. Although I am grateful for the distraction of being in the elevator, I am so relieved to be out of that situation I rush out with a quick "thanks, it was nice to meet you," and head down the hall. I can only imagine what he must be thinking. "Ugh, another 'fangirl'. Of course he would somehow manage to run into 1 of only 2 people in this small city who know anything about Kpop. Come think of it, why is he here anyway?" But I don't have time for these thoughts right now. I have bridesmaid duties to attend to. 

Just before I turn the corner, Sehun calls after me, "Wait!" I stop dead in my tracks. "Oh god... oh god, oh god," I think as I slowly turn toward him. He's still standing in front of the elevators, looking at the floor with a hand on the back of his head, scratching at his scalp. Hesitantly, I walk over to him. "Do you, um..." he glances up at me, "need a date? You know, so you'll have someone to ride back down with later." I had heard that Sehun can be shy at times, but I never believed it until now, seeing the blush in his cheeks. 

I am so taken back by his question. I thought he would laugh off our elevator ride, and that would be that. My face breaks into a large grin and I look at the floor, my mind racing for a response. He straightens nervously, waiting for my reply. I sigh, then look back at him. "Like I could refuse a member of EXO," I laugh. He smiles widely, then hooks his arm in mine and I lead him to the wedding. 

We stop outside the room where the bride is waiting. Unlocking our arms, we stand face to face. You can hear some girls laughing, some crying, and someone yelling orders into their phone. "You may want to wait here for a minute," I tell Sehun. He looks at the door as an "I SAID GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!" resonates from the other side. He whips his head back to look at me with wide, fearful eyes. "Heh," I force a half-smile across my face, knowing who said that. "I'll be right back," I say as I lightly squeeze his forearm. "I be here," he says as he leans against the wall. 

I enter the bustling room, "Hello!" I wave to everyone as I leave my bag on a nearby chair. "You're finally here!" my best friend, Kim says as she runs up to me, giving me a hug. "How's your sister?" I ask her. She rolls her eyes, "She's having a meltdown, just as we thought she would. She's in the bathroom." I give her a pouty look, "Should I let her now I'm here?" "That's okay, our mom is handling it. I'll just tell her," she responded as her brows furrowed at the vibrating phone in her hand. "These goddamn groomsmen are worthless," she said angrily. I scoffed, "What do you expect from that group of boys?" 

The door opens behind us and in walks the Best Man with an exasperated look on his face. I'm assuming he's the one who was told to "get his ass over here." "Hey, there's this guy outside," he says with a thumb pointing in Sehun's direction. "Don't worry about 'guys' and do your job!" I quickly interject, not wanting him to be the one to tell Kim about my date. He looks at me, confused, but blinks it off and carries out his duties. 

Kim starts to move away so I quickly grab her arm. "Wha-at?" she whines. "I have something to tell you," I say in my most serious voice. She looks at me strangely as she peels my hand from her arm. "You have to remain calm, okay?" I begin. "What are you going on about?" she asks as she crosses her arms, "I have things to do." 

The event of the elevator ride replays in my head, and everything hits me as though it was the first time. I begin to get nervous, my heart beats faster, my hands start to shake. Kim looks at me with a "hurry it up" expression. "You're not gonna believe this," I say breathlessly. "Oh my god, are you okay?" She grabs me by both my arms and looks directly at me with concern. "Yes, I'm okay," a smile spreads over my face, "I'm better than okay." Now, Kim is really confused. 

"Kim," I grab her arms in return, "I have a date. I met him in the elevator on the way up." She cocks her head. "What's the big deal about that? You're being weird," she says and starts to walk off again. "Kim!" I whisper harshly and pull her back into our little bubble. "It's him! It's really him!" "Oh god, him who?" she moans, clearly agitated with me. "Sehun!" I say excitedly. 

Her whole demeanor changes as shock overcomes her, "Say that again?" "It's Sehun, from EXO! It's really him!" I'm all sorts of giddy now, bouncing on my toes as I tell her. "Wow, are you drunk or something?" Kim retorts. "No, Kim, he's waiting right outside the door! Oh, shit... I should go out there. He's been waiting for a while now. K, bye!" I grin and head out the door. Kim throws her arms in the air, then lets them fall to her sides. "First my sister has a bridezilla meltdown, now my best friend is having a mental breakdown," she sighs behind me. 

I open the door to find Sehun waiting in the same position I had left him in, just like he said he'd be. "Sorry about that," I say as I gesture my arm for him to take it once again. He smiles softly as he pushes himself from the wall and moves to hook his arm back in mine, but we are interrupted by an "Oh. My. GOD!" My heart was pounding so loudly that I didn't realize the door didn't close behind, and Kim had actually followed me out. I turn to look at her. Her face is in utter shock, eyes wide and jaw on the floor. I can see the fangirl building up inside her. "One more sec, Sehun," I say flashing him and apologetic smile as I push Kim back into the room as quickly as I can. 

She stares at me for a moment in disbelief, then it happens. We start squealing and flapping our arms in total fangirl fashion. Fortunately, everyone else was too busy to notice us. "Shh! Shh! He can probably hear us," I whisper, looking toward the door. "Oh!" she says, regaining her composure. "But what the hell is he doing here? Are the other guys here?" she gasps, "Is Chanyeol here!?" I laugh, "I don't know. We literally just met, we haven't had a chance for me to pry into his life, yet. I gotta go, let me know if you need anything, okay?" She gives me a hug and as I head out the door, she slaps my butt with a "go get 'em, Tiger" and a wink. 

"I am so sorry about that," I say to a patiently waiting Sehun. "No worries," he smiles as we hook arms again. I lead him to the rooftop so I can fulfill my duties by checking flower arrangements and adjusting bows, Sehun following behind the whole time like a puppy. A devilishly handsome puppy. I perk up at the thought. "What is it?" Sehun asks, seeing the question forming on my face. I let the bow I had been messing with fall back into place. "I was just thinking, what are the odds that you're already dressed for this? And..." I move closer to him, maybe a little too close for him because he leans away. I back off. "Are you wearing makeup?" He clears his throat. "I had a, thing, earlier," he says quietly. "Hmm, a 'thing'," I think. Sensing it was some sort of secret EXO thing, I drop it and continue with my task of fixing bows. 

We make small talk as he follows me around the venue. Guests start to arrive and I escort Sehun to a seat before he is left standing. I head back to line up for the procession where Kim is waiting, eagerly waving me in her direction. "Are you going to tell me just how the hell this whole thing happened?" she asks with a bright eyes. "I did tell you, we met in the elevator. I guess he's staying here." "Thank the lucky stars," she says, clenching her fist to chest. We laugh and line up to walk down the isle.


	2. Reception

The ceremony drags on, seeming to last a lifetime. I steal glances of Sehun, who is blending in with the rest of the guests, finding comfort in his anonymity among them. Looking at him, only one word comes to mind: Regal. The way he's dressed, a dark blue suit and white dress shirt with the top button undone. The way he sits, casually leaning back on his side with his legs crossed. The way his eyes are lovingly fixated on a bride and groom he has never met. My mind floats away as I finally lose myself in him. 

I'm suddenly brought back to reality when Kim grabs my arm, yanking on it with tears in her eyes. With a jolt, I realize everyone is celebrating as the newlyweds share their first kiss as man and wife. They happy couple make their way back down the isle and guests slowly shuffle out behind them. I make my way over to Sehun who is still sitting in his seat as he watches everyone leave. The crowd is thick and I have a hard time getting to him. He seems lost in thought and doesn't notice me trying to get his attention.

I shout at him, "Sehun!" with an arm waving over my head. His concentration is broken as he whips his head in my direction, letting out a "yehet" with a grin when he sees me. His reaction melts my heart. I start towards him again, only to be stopped by Kim. She goes over the plans for the reception, wanting to avoid any other catastrophes that could cause her sister to freak out again. Her words slow to a stop as Sehun approaches us, like she had forgotten he was here. "Anyway," she says with a smile, "I'll catch up with you later." And with a wink she walks off.

Sehun pokes out his elbow, always the gentleman, and yet again we lock arms as we walk to the other side of the rooftop to the reception. Fortunately, there is an extra seat at our table. The seat my boyfriend was supposed to sit at, before we broke up last week. Funny how life works out sometimes, isn't it? 

We take our seats and my confidence starts to waver. I begin to feel my social awkwardness as I realize I don't know what to say. We had pretty much exhausted all small talk while preparing the ceremony. I sit nervously, with my hands in my lap as I look around the room. A waiter comes over with drinks and I see Sehun sitting comfortably. It's as though the roles are reversed, and I am the unexpected guest. 

"Did you like the ceremony?" I ask, not being able to find any other words to say. "Yeah, it was really nice. I would like a wedding like this one day," Sehun says, looking around. "You think about that?" I ask, surprised. "Mm, don't you?" he asks. I sit back in my chair. "Well, yeah, occasionally. But you have so much going on with your career, I would think that getting married would be the last thing on your mind." "It's not something I want to do right away, but it is something I think about," he says before taking a drink. I smile at his words, losing myself in him once again, daydreaming of the amazing husband he will one day be.

"Hey, guys!" Kim says cheerfully as she takes her seat next to me. I am happy to see her because I know she will do all the talking. Sure enough, she jumps right in with the questions I was too nervous to ask. "Why are you here?" "I'm accompanying your friend," he says matter-of-factly. Kim gives him an "I know that" look, then says, "I mean here as in this city." "Well, I can't say." "How long are you here?" "Not sure." "Can you tell me anything?" "Probably not."

This goes on throughout most of the reception. Have a drink, ask a question. Eat some food, ask a question. Go dance, ask a question. Kim is trying, unsuccessfully, to get any information out of him that she could. Worried she may be getting on his nerves, I ask if he is ready to leave. "No, I'm having fun," he smiles. Then I realize he has been toying with Kim, purposefully not answering any of her questions. I laugh at the thought of her reaction when I tell her later. 

As time goes on, guests become more than tipsy, and I decide it's time to leave. I say good-bye to the wedding party and Sehun and I head to elevator. As we wait, he puts his arm around me, rubbing my arm. "How ya feeling?" he asks. "I'm okay, the ride down isn't as bad as the ride up." Then it hit me. I jump out of Sehun's arm and grab it. "Wait! What about you? What if there isn't anyone to ride back up with you?" He smiles sweetly, then pulls me back to his side. "Then I'll take the stairs."

This elevator ride is much less eventful, as we ride down in silence, me still tucked under his arm. We arrive at our floor and he walks me to the lobby. We stand facing each other in the middle of the room. We are both feeling shy, now. Sehun's hand finds the back of his head again. My hands grip tightly to my purse in front of me. Dare I press my luck and ask to see him again? Or should I just be happy with the time I did have with him and walk away?

My purse begins to vibrate. I look in it to see my phone lit up with a missed call. As I take it out of my purse it vibrates again. I smile at Sehun and he smiles back. "I'm being summoned," I sigh, gesturing to my phone. "I better get going. Thank you for coming with me, I had a great time." "I did, too," he replies. I watch anxiously as his smile fades and he presses his lips together and sticks out the tip of his tongue. I bite my lip as we stand there awkwardly, still deciding on my next move. 

My phone vibrates again. I shove it back in my purse and with a nervous laugh, I take a step toward him and open my arms for a hug. Sehun half smiles and closes the distance, wrapping his arms around me. I'm not quite tall enough for my chin to clear his shoulder, and have to restrain myself from pressing my nose into his neck as I get a whiff of his cologne. His hands are warm on my back and I feel like I could melt into him. I give him a gentle squeeze, then release him, grabbing his hand just before I walk away.


	3. Regret?

The sun feels warm on my back as I lay on the floor of the living room. I scroll through the pictures on my phone of the wedding, lingering on the selfies I took with Sehun. I roll over and see a sleepy-eyed Kim coming out from the hallway. "Morning, Sunshine!" I yell at her. She grabs her head and glares at me, "Rude." I smile widely in response. She may have gone a little overboard with the partying last night, due to her mother jumping down her throat about "When will it be your turn?" 

I walk over to the kitchen to pick up the bottles of OJ and champagne and glasses and bring them back to the living room, where Kim is sprawled out on the couch, covering her face with a pillow. I nudge her over with my butt so I can sit. "Grr," she says, making room for me. "Here, mimosas," I say as I pour her a drink. "I swiped the good stuff from your mom before the wedding." I turn to see Kim is peeking out from under her pillow, clearly intrigued by the word "mimosa". I hand her the glass and make my own. 

We sit in silence while Kim recovers from her hangover, and I go back to scrolling through pictures, nervously anticipating her bombardment of questions. With the last gulp of her drink, Kim speaks up, "Remind me to never go to my sister's wedding again," she groans. "I'll be sure to do that," I laugh at her. "Feeling better?" "I'll be fine once I eat," she replies. I quickly head back into the kitchen. Now that she is feeling better, I know the questions will start coming, and I'm not ready to answer them. 

I rummage around the kitchen and make breakfast. I bring the food out to Kim, who is now sitting upright with her legs criss-crossed on the couch. "Mmm, thank you," she says as she takes the plate from my hand. I can see thoughts building on her face and quickly interject before she can say anything. "Don't forget Zu is coming in today. We're supposed to meet-up for lunch." Kim nods a yes, her mouth full of food. I eat as fast as I can, finishing before Kim is half done with hers. "I'm gonna take a shower and all that," I say, and Kim waves me off as I head to my room. 

After turning on my favorite playlist, I get in the shower. I replay last nights events as I wash my hair, wondering what would have happened if I hadn't walked away. I go through different possible scenarios, but ultimately come to the conclusion that if he did want to see me again, he would have stopped me from leaving. A disheartening realization, but I will always treasure the time we spent together.

Coming out of my room, I find Kim getting ready in hers. "Hey, I'm almost ready," she says, "I just got a call from Zu, she'll be there in about 15 minutes." "Sounds good," I answer. "I can't wait to see the look on her face after you tell her about Sehun!" she smiled excitedly. "Here its comes..." I think to myself. "When are you going to see him again?" she asks as she gives herself one last look in the mirror. She turns to me with her hands on her hips, giving me "that look" as she waits for my reply. "Well..." I shrug my shoulders and head for the front door.

"Wait a minute," she says as she follows me out, "what does that mean?" I get my keys from the bowl on the shelf and open the door. "It means... I'm not." I walk out the door and to her car. Maybe the distraction of driving will keep her mind occupied enough to slow the scolding. "WHAT?!" I wince at her words. "What are you talking about, 'I'm not'?" I sigh, "Just get in the car and I'll tell you about it."

We arrive at the restaurant where we are meeting our friend, Zu. "I can't believe you just walked away like that!" Kim says as she slams the door to her car. "I'm sorry," I tell her, "I froze. I got nervous and didn't know what to do, and you kept calling me, and... ugh I don't know." We walk into the restaurant and look for our friend, who we easily spot, waving at us from the other side of the room. 

We make our way over and find Zu had already ordered our favorite drinks for us. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you guys!" Zu squeals as she gives us huge hugs. "How was your out-of-towner?" Kim asks her. "Ugh, exhausting," Zu replies as she plops her elbows on the table, "How was the wedding?" "It was, eventful. Wouldn't you say?" Kim replied, looking at me with blinking eyes. Zu cocks her head, looking back and forth between us. "What is this?" she asks with a finger waving about, "What's going on here?" I can feel a smile spread across my face. "Oh, god, don't tell me you got back with that douche bag," Zu rolls her eyes as she leans back in her chair. I laugh, "No, no. Actually, I had a new date." 

I pull out my phone and find my favorite picture of Sehun and me, and slide it across the table. Kim waits anxiously as we watch for Zu's reaction. Her eyes widen once she picks up the phone. She stares for a minute, then shoots the phone back at me. "Are you serious! How did you manage that?" she said excitedly. I told her the whole story, from the elevator ride to when I left him in the lobby. "Can you believe she did that to us! She's supposed to be our friend," Kim pouted jokingly, "How am I supposed to meet Chanyeol now?"

"Well, you might not be out of luck, yet, Kim," Zu surmises. Kim and I look at each other with confused faces. "Why do you say that?" I ask. Zu gives us a mischievous smirk. "Okay, spill," Kim tells her, crossing her arms on the table. Zu reaches across and grabs us by the wrists. "Girls," she leans in, "I saw them at the airport. All of them. I did some snooping and found out they will be here for a week!" "Seriously?" Kim squeals. "Yes!" Zu squeals back. "You should go see if Sehun is still staying at that hotel," Kim tells me with a hand on my shoulder. "I can't do that," I say, brushing away her hand. "Oh, come on," she begs. "I can't, Kim. If he wanted to see me, he would have stopped me from leaving. And I don't want to be a sasaeng."

We enjoy the rest of our lunch, laughing and goofing around as Zu tells us about her adventures of being a flight attendant. After lunch the 3 of us head to the store to stock up on supplies for a girls-night-in, then head home. When we turn the corner just before the house, Zu, who is in the passengers seat, speaks up, "Did you buy a new car?" "Huh?" I respond, clamoring between the front seats for a better view. Sure enough, there was a car in front of our house. "Who is that?" Kim asks. "Maybe its that guy your mom was trying to set you up with," I tease. 

We pull into the driveway and cautiously get out of the car. Zu looks into the strange vehicle, "No one in it." We walk up to the gate and can see someone through the porch railing, sitting on the porch next to the front door. I open the gate and calmly walk toward the house with the girls following close behind, gossiping about who it could be. Halfway there I turn to hush the girls, when we hear a voice from porch. "Yehet!"


	4. Second Chance

I stop dead in my tracks, Zu and Kim bumping into me. We stare in disbelief as Sehun emerges from behind the railing with a large grin on his face. My jaw falls open. I can't even form thoughts, let alone words. I feel the girls nudging me from behind, encouraging me to walk. It takes a minute, but I take a couple steps forward, with a "Hi," finally escaping my mouth. Zu grabs my arm and forces me to walk to the door while Kim takes the lead to give him a proper greeting.

"So good to see you again!" she beams, "Please, come inside." She opens the front door and we follow her in. As soon as Zu releases my arm, I make a B-line to hide in the kitchen. My heart is racing. My ears and cheeks are burning. I am too unprepared for this. "Want anything to drink?" I yell out, stalling for time. I paced around, putting the backs of my hands to my face. Then Kim comes around the corner, "Go out there, I'll get the goodies." I continue with my pacing until she grabs me. "What is wrong with you? I said go!" and she shoves me out of the kitchen. 

I look up to see Zu sitting caddy-cornered to Sehun, making casual conversation, something she is quite good at because of her job. And something I am quite thankful for, being the social klutz that I am. I slowly make my way toward them, carefully deciding where I should sit. Sehun looks over at me, and ever-so-slightly shifts over, hinting that I should sit by him. "So.." I say as I take my seat, "What brings you here?" "I wanted to see you," he blushes.

I can feel the heat return to my cheeks and look away. Kim comes into the living room with drinks in tow and sets them on the coffee table. "How did you find us?" she asks as she takes the seat next to Zu. "Well..." he starts, his hand scratching the back of his head, "I hope you don't find this weird or creepy, but..." I look over at the girls, all of us with an strange expression on our faces. "I asked the hotel for information on the wedding, and got your address from your mother," he gestured to Kim. 

We looked around at each other, bewildered, as Sehun smiles nervously. "Is it werid?" he asks. "I think it's sweet," Zu sighed dreamily. Then suddenly Kim hops out of her seat. "Zu, I almost forgot about that 'thing', you know," she says, taking Zu by the hand and pulling her up. "Oh yeah, that 'thing'," Zu replies. "We'll be right back," Kim says as they rush out of the room. "Wait, what-" I call after them, slow to catch on. "Oh... that 'thing'." I look over at Sehun and give him an awkward smile.

"I'm really surprised to see you," I tell him. He adjusts in his seat, "Really? Should I go?" he questions. "No!" I say abruptly, startling us both. "I mean, I'm happy to see you. I just..." I look at Sehun, who is looking at me with concern. "I just, didn't expect to see you again." Sehun leans forward, rubbing his hands together. "Yeah, I guess that's my fault," he says. "I shouldn't have let you leave the way you did, but... I don't know, I just kind of froze." "Hmm," I nodded, understanding exactly.

"Anyway," Sehun turns to me, "I thought rather than just ask for your number, I would come apologize in person. And, maybe... we could hang out later?" I blush, "Sure. Later when?" Sehun checks his watch, "I have some work stuff to do, actually I should be headed there now, but when its over?" "Okay," I smile. "Great," Sehun says, relieved, "I gotta go now." We stand up and Kim and Zu come out from the hallway. "Not obvious at all," I poke. I give Sehun my number, then we all watch from the front door as he drives away. 

Once we are sure he can't see us, the fangirling ensues. We shriek. We giggle. We dance around the room. "Is this really happening?" I sigh as I finally plop down on the couch. "You can't fuck up this time," Kim points a finger at me. I wave her off "In the mean time, we need to do something to keep me from spazzing out." We decide to continue with our previous plans of shenanigans until I hear from Sehun.

The three of us are watching a movie when my phone goes off. It's a text "Meet us at the hotel". "Whaaaat?" I wonder aloud. "What is it?" Kim and Zu say in unison, quickly shifting their positions to face me. I glance up at them, then look back at my phone. "Well... I don't know if this is an error or not... it says 'us'," I tell them. "'Us' what?" Kim asks. "It says 'Meet us at the hotel'. Do you think he meant 'us' or is it a language issue?" But the girls didn't hear me. They were too busy jumping around, squealing, and quickly cleaning up. "Hello? What are you guys doing?" I wave around to get their attention. Kim stops with a hand on her hip, "Duh, we're going with you. Typo or not, its the perfect excuse for all to go." I nodded in agreement and helped the girls clean up.

We arrive at the hotel, and our nerves start to set in. We stop just outside the doors, giving each other one last look to make sure everything in place, then head in. As we enter the lobby we can hear some laughter coming from across the room. We all know exactly who it's coming from, and Kim's face turns pink. "Deep breathe," I tell her as I take her by the arm. We all inhale, then make our way toward the sounds. 

As we get closer, we see 3 heads poking out over the top of a sofa. Sehun is sitting in a chair next them, positioned so he is able to see us walk up. He stands, "Hey!" The heads on the sofa turn to see us. We smile shyly and wave. "Oh, hey!" says one of the boys as they struggle with each other to stand up. After a moment, and some inaudible Korean, the boys straighten to formally greet us. They all bow with an "Anyoung haseyo."


	5. Date night

We introduce ourselves to the 3 gorgeous men, Chanyeol, Lay, and Kai. "So what is there to do around here?" Chanyeol asks. Kim looks over at me with pleading eyes. "No," I tell her. Then her bottom lips starts to poke out. "No," I say and turn my head away from her. Then, I look back, "Really?" I whine. "Please," she begs. "Oh alright..." I finally cave. "Yes!" Kim exclaims, "There's this bar not too far from here with good food, we can go there." "Why did you say no?" Sehun asks. "Because she always makes me to karaoke when we go there," I smile as I roll my eyes.

We get to Kim's car and realize its going to be a tight squeeze. "Chanyeol should sit up front, being so tall," I say with an elbow to Kim, "but I don't know how the rest of us will fit." "You and I can take my rental," Sehun responds, then takes me by the hand and leads me to his car. "Wait up! I'm coming with you," we hear from behind as Kai jogs to catch up. We all climb into the cars and drive to the bar. As we follow behind the others, I can see them all bobbing their heads along to the music. I smile, hoping they are getting along well. "Hey." I'm jolted by the sudden realization that Kai is right between the front seats, reaching for the radio. "What's a good station?" he asks. "I really couldn't tell you," I laugh, "I don't listen to American music anymore. But try this one." I change it to a Top 40 station and spend the rest of the car ride singing and laughing. 

The bar is loud as usual, but our favorite seat is empty. The crowd is thick, as usual, forcing us all to hold each other's hands so we don't get separated. Kim is in front, leading Chanyeol through the sea of people. Behind him is Lay, so Chanyeol won't worry about him getting lost. Of course, Zu jumped at this opportunity and went with him. Next is Kai, then me, and Sehun as we snake our way across the room.

We sit down and the waitress comes over. "Hey, ladies. It's been a while," she says as she places a basket of fries on the table. She looks around at the boys with a strange expression on her face. "What'll you be drinking?" she asks. We place our orders and she heads back to the bar. "So why are you all here?" Zu asks, looking around the table. The guys look at each other for a moment, then Lay speaks up. "We really can't say. Contracts."

The waitress returns with our order and it doesn't take long for the party to start. We tell stories and tease each other, getting to know everyone a little better. Before we know it, we are laughing like old friends. Kai is banging on the table and Chanyeol is practically falling out of his chair. We've all had a couple drinks, and this is usually when Kim starts to eye the karaoke machine. Just as I'm about to suggest the boys sing a song, Chanyeol speaks, "Think they'd let me play that guitar up there?" Immediately, Kim flags down the waitress and the boys follow her to the stage. 

They dink around with the equipment for a bit, Chanyeol and Lay try guitars as Sehun and Kai mess with the sound system. Then we hear a voice over the speakers, "Testing, testing. Hello, everybody." The room quiets down a bit as the boys get into position. Chanyeol strums the guitar and Lay quickly picks up the melody. Zu, Kim, and I are in awe, staring at the boys sitting on stools on the stage. This is much more intimate than what we usually see from them. No prancing around the stage, no special effects. Just them and their talent. We sway back and forth, drowning in their voices. I look over to Kim, who has a tear in her eye, and reach over to grab her hand. She smiles sheepishly as she wipes her eyes. We look to Zu who is too absorbed to notice anything else. The place could be on fire, but she wouldn't even realize it. 

The crowd cheers as they make their way back to the table, waving and bowing their heads in thanks. As they sit, we can see a special glow about them. They are utterly happy, this is truly what they love and were born to do. "Ah, that was fun. I haven't been able to play a guitar in a while," Chanyeol says as he stretches and arm around Kim's chair with a wink, instantly turning her face red. "Yeah, it's nice to be able to perform in such a calm setting," Sehun replys. 

We finish our drinks and go back to the cars. The night is getting a little chilly, just enough for the perfect excuse to get close. We walk 2-and-2, Chanyeol with an arm around Kim, Lay shyly holding Zu's hand, then Sehun and me with hooked arms. I look over to see Kai shuffling along, all by himself, looking dejected. I feel sad, wishing I had another friend so he wouldn't be alone. I loosen my arm from Sehun's and reach out for Kai, grabbing him at the elbow and pull him closer. We walk with Sehun on one side, his arm around my waist and mine around his back, Kai on the other side with my arm wrapped in his.

When we reach the car, I see the other 2 couples leaning on Kim's car. Zu cuddling up to Lay, and Chanyeol whispering to a blushing Kim. I can see it's time for us to separate. I can't think of a way to do this gracefully, so instead I blurt out, "So... catch ya on the flip-side," as I snap and point my fingers at the girls. Everyone looks at me with a strange expression, but it's something I'm used to. "C'mon, guys," I sigh as I pull Sehun and Kai in the direction of our ride. We all get into the cars, but just before I close the door, I whisper/yell, "Kim!" She turns and I give her the "call me" signal. 

Sehun, Kai, and I sit in the car as we watch Kim's car drive away. Kai is in the middle of the backseat, twiddling his thumbs, staring out the window. Sehun starts the car, "Um," he clears his throat, "Now what?" "I really have no idea," I admit, "I just felt like they needed some alone time." Sehun nods his head in understanding as he sticks out the tip of his tounge. I suddenly realize that I've made a grave mistake. I turn to look at Kai in the backseat who gives me a half-cocked smile in response. "What if Sehun wanted 'alone time', too," I think as I turn back in my seat, feeling bad for forcing the 3rd wheel on Kai. 

After a few awkward moments, I finally speak up, "Well, you can just drop me off at my house, I guess." No, no," Kai perks up, waving at hand at me, "Take me back. I'm getting bored anyway." "That's okay," I reply, "It's getting late, and I have to go back to work tomorrow." Kai looks to Sehun, biting his lip as he shrugs, silently conveying that he tried. "Alright," Sehun sighs as he shift the gears and we head off.

We pull up to the house and I am relived to see Kim's car isn't here. That means they are still out having fun. I turn around to Kai, who is falling asleep against the window. I reach back and shake his knee. "Kai. Kai, I'm leaving. I want to say goodbye, jerk, wake up!" "Hm, I'm up, I'm up," he moans. He leans forward and we hug between the front seats. "Bye," I smile, then Sehun and I get out of the car. Sehun stops to sit on the hood, and takes me hand, pulling me in front of him. I stand there, expecting him to say something, but he doesn't. He just holds my hand, caressing it with his thumbs, and stares off in the distance. 

"What is it?" I finally ask. He looks down at our hands and takes a deep breath. "You're really cool," he smiles. I look at him through squinted eyes. He laughs a little as he stands up and pulls me into a hug. I smell his cologne and this time I can't resist him. I press my nose against his neck, accidentally brushing my lips against his collar bone, tickling him and making him pull back with a small laugh. "Sorry," I mutter as I look away, totally embarrassed. Then I feel a hand on my chin, and Sehun tuns my face towards his. Our eyes meet and my heart starts racing. He moves his hand from under my chin to the back of my neck, resting his fingers in my hair. I suddenly forget how to breathe as Sehun slowly leans in, eyes still locked on mine. Closer and closer, our lips almost touching. My heart tightens in anticipation.


	6. Story time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features a guest author! My friend who inspired the part of Kim has written a special segment which will be marked by stars ***

We close our eyes as our lips meet. My heart pounds as though it's trying to leap from my chest into his. He grazes his fingers through my hair and tightens his arm around my waist as he slightly parts his lips to deepen the kiss. I melt into him, following his lead. But all too soon, he gently pulls away. I look up at him as he moves his hand from my neck back to my chin. With a smile, he gives me one more small kiss. "I call you tomorrow," he whispers as he runs his thumb over my chin. I nod in return. 

I move slowly to the gate, our hands grasped as I unlock it. I turn to him as the gate opens. He gives my hand one last squeeze, and I smile as I watch him get into the car. I walk towards the house, turning around in time to see the car exit the driveway. I wave as they head off down the road. Then I hear my phone buzz. I check it and see a message from Zu, "Where are you?" I text her back as I head inside. I throw myself onto the couch, my head spinning as I can still feel Sehun's lips on mine. 

I replay the moment over and over again, until I hear the front door open. I sit up as Kim and Zu come through the door. "Hey, girl!" Zu laughs. They are both giggling like school girls, totally love drunk. "Well, looks like you guys had a good night," I smile. They look at each other, then burst into laughter. "You'll never guess what happened," Kim finally breathes. I criss-cross my legs on the couch as I wait.

Kim begins, "So you know that park with the fountain in the pond?" I nod. "We went there for a romantic walk, and to get away from each other. Chanyeol and I went left toward the gazebo, while Zu and Lay went right toward the garden." She stifles a laugh and clears her throat, preparing to tell her story. 

***As we walked toward the gazebo, Chanyeol reached for my hand. I looked up at his shy expression and hoped the darkness, with path lamps as the only light, would help hide my blush. He started asking me questions about what I plan to do after I graduate, and he looked pleased about my plan to be an English teacher in South Korea. I explained how my love of dramas lead me to Korean pop, and shortly afterwards to being an EXO-L. He asked cutely who my bias was, and I could see the pleased looked on his face when I embarrassingly admitted that I have only ever looked at him.

By this time we had reached the gazebo and took a seat together on the small swing inside. I could smell the flowers around us and hear the night sounds. I commented that the crickets were performing for us, and he laughed as he put his arm around my shoulder and cuddled a little closer to me. We sat and talked for awhile, just making each other laugh, and a few times I lost my train of thought because I would get distracted by his eyes.I just couldn't believe he was sitting here with me after all those years of thinking I would always be unknown to him. I told him so, pausing a few times from shyness and the way his hand made me all warm inside. 

He asked what my favorite song was and I admitted that it had to be his cover of "I Promise You", it has been my lullaby for a long time now. I looked down at my lap, embarrassed at my confession, and felt his hand reach under my chin to lift my eyes back to his. His smile was breathtaking, and he started to sing it. The whole time he is singing, I can feel his fingers gently caressing my cheeks, and his deep voice making me tingle inside a thousand times harder than I ever have when I listened to him on my phone.

As the song ended, he moved in slowly, as if to give me a chance to refuse, and when his soft lips met mine, it felt like the stars themselves were exploding around us. He pulled away after a moment and smiled at my shook expression. Just as he looked like he was going to start talking again, we heard a loud scream from the other side of the pond.***

Kim stifles another laugh. "Well what happened?" I ask anxiously. "First, I'll tell you my date," Zu stated, re-situating herself on the couch. "We walked arm-in-arm toward garden. He was very shy, but I was able to keep him talking. We told each other about funny experiences we've had on planes or in the airport, and talked about places we would like to travel to. I was starting to get chilly, so Lay wrapped his arm around me. We made it to the bench that overlooks the fountain and sat down to admire the night. I rested my head on his shoulder, waiting for him to make a move. But then I remembered, this is Lay. He won't make the first move, not this century anyway. So I tilted my head and kissed jaw. He was a little shocked at first, but then he smiled and gave me the sweetest kiss. But just as we were getting into it, he yelled! Which scared me, so I screamed!"

I can't even imagine the look on my face right now. Worried and confused, I urge her to continue by waving my hand. Zu is trying not to laugh through her angry expression, "There was a goose behind me! He ran back down the path as I was screaming, then I see that damn goose... I just couldn't believe it." Kim starts laughing again, and I try not not to join in as Zu pops her on the knee. "Oh, it gets better," Zu rolls her eyes. "I finally find him hiding behind a tree. I smacked his arm and scolded him for scaring me. That's when we see Kim and Chanyeol jogging up. I told them what happened, and of course they started laughing," she smiles. "Then Chanyeol gave him a hard time for ruining our moments. So we decided it was time to come home."

"Aw, Zu, I'm sorry things didn't go smoothly for you," I try to comfort her. "Don't worry," she grinned, "He made up for it when we dropped them off." "Ooooh," I wiggle an eyebrow at her and she throws a pillow at me. "What did you end up doing?" Kim asks. "Nothing," I shrug, "I've been here on the couch most of the time." "Aw, I feel bad now," "Yeah, me, too," the girls pout. "Its okay, I just took one for the team," I wink as I lay back on the couch, then with a smirk I say, "A kiss, that is." "Why you little..." Kim trails off as she and Zu bury me in pillows. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 3 days, the guys will have to leave. I have been able to text with Sehun a few times, but his schedule keeps us from being able to meet again. I walk in the door, just coming home from work, and kick off my shoes. "Hey, girl," I say to Kim, who is staring into her phone. A zombie like moan is her reply. I go to the room to change into my sweats and throw my hair up off my neck. Suddenly, I hear the doorbell ring. My heart skips a beat and I race to the front door, almost crashing into Kim as I come out of the hallway. "Whoa, turbo," she raises a hand as though The Force will stop me from falling over, which it does. "It's just the pizza guy," she mumbles. I frown as I wait for her open the door, then slump in disappointment as she pays the guy. 

I follow Kim into the kitchen, "Pizza again? This isn't like you." She sets the box on the counter and grabs a slice. "I want to see Oppa," she whines, then shoves the piece into her mouth. "Ugh, me too..." I sigh, then follow suit. We stand there, staring into the half-empty box, gnawing on our pizza in silence, when the doorbell rings. Kim and I stop chewing and look at each other. "Don't tell me you ordered another pizza," I say to her. She stares at me blankly, "No." All at once, we drop our food and run to the door, tripping over each other along the way. We take a second to compose ourselves, then open the door. 

"Kai?" we say in unison. He doesn't look very happy. "Hey, we need to talk," he says sternly as he walks into the house.


End file.
